New Spago, Times Nominated for Beard

The new Spago restaurant in Beverly Hills was nominated in three categories for the restaurant awards given by the James Beard Society. It was nominated as best new restaurant, Wolfgang Puck was nominated as outstanding chef and Sherry Yard as best pastry chef.

Other Southern California restaurants receiving nominations, which were announced last week, were Campanile (wine director Manfred Krankl for outstanding wine service) and Patina (owners Christine and Joachim Splichal for outstanding service).

In the Beard journalism awards, the Los Angeles Times won six nominations: Laurie Ochoa for newspaper series; S. Irene Virbila for restaurant reviews; Russ Parsons for feature writing withrecipes and for feature writing without recipes; Margaret Sheridan for writing on diet, nutrition and health; and Schuyler Ingle for news reporting.

The New York Times and the Washington Post each had three nominations.

Finalists in the cookbook competitions for the Julia Child Awards presented by the International Assn. of Culinary Professionals and the James Beard Society were also announced.

1998 JULIA CHILD COOKBOOK AWARDS FINALISTS

American: “California Home Cooking,” Michele Anna Jordan, Harvard Common Press; “Cocina de la Familia,” Marilyn Tausend with Miguel Ravago, Simon & Schuster; “Fresh From the Farmers’ Market,” Janet Fletcher, Chronicle Books. Bread, Other Baking and Sweets: “The Chocolate Bible,” Christian Teubner, Penguin Studio; “Grand Finales,” Tish Boyle and Timothy Moriarty, John Wiley; “The Village Baker’s Wife,” Gayle and Joe Ortiz, with Louisa Beers, Ten Speed Press. Chefs and Restaurants: “Alfred Portale’s Gotham Bar and Grill Cookbook,” Doubleday; “American Brasserie,” Rick Tramanto and Gale Gand with Julia Moskin, Macmillan; “Norman’s New World Cuisine,” Norman Van Aken with John Harrison, Random House. Regional: “A Fresh Taste of Italy,” Michele Scicolone, Broadway Books; “In Nonna’s Kitchen,” Carol Field, HarperCollins; “Marcella Cucina,” Marcella Hazan, HarperCollins. Literary Food Writing: “Appetite for Life,” Noel Riley Fitch, Doubleday; “Never Eat Your Heart Out,” Judith Moore, Farrar, Straus & Giroux; “The Man Who Ate Everything,” Jeffrey Steingarten, Alfred A. Knopf. Single Subject: “Mollie Katzen’s Vegetable Heaven,” Hyperion; “Olive Oil,” Peggy Knickerbocker, Chronicle Books; “The Splendid Grain,” Rebecca Wood, William Morrow. Wine & Spirits: “Aperitif,” Georgeanne Brennan, Chronicle Books; “Co^te d’Or,” Clive Coates, University of California Press; “Wines of the Rhone Valley,” Robert M. Parker Jr., Simon & Schuster. First Book: “Best Bread Ever,” Charles Van Over, Broadway Books; “Great Fish, Quick,” Leslie Revsin, Doubleday; “The Wedding Cake Book,” Dede Wilson, Macmillan. Food Reference/Technical: “The Bountiful Kitchen,” Barry Bluestein and Kevin Morrissey, Penguin Studio; “Heirloom Vegetable Gardening,” William Woys Weaver, Henry Holt; “New York Eats (More),” Ed Levine, St. Martin’s Press. General: “Kitchen Conversations,” Joyce Goldstein, William Morrow; “Joy of Cooking,” Irma Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker, Scribner; “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone,” Deborah Madison, Broadway Books. Health and Special Diet: “Laurel’s Kitchen Caring,” Laurel Robertson with Carol Lee Flinders & Brian Ruppenthal, Ten Speed Press; “Positive Cooking,” Lisa McMillan, Jill Jarvie and Janet Brauer, Avery Publishing; “Stir-Fry to Szechuan,” Weight Watchers, Macmillan.

1998 JAMES BEARD COOKBOOK AWARDS FINALISTS

Baking and Desserts: “The Best Bread Ever,” Charles van Over, Broadway Books; “Desserts for Dummies,” Bill Yosses & Bryan Miller, IDG Books; “Let Them Eat Cake,” Susan Purdy, William Morrow. Entertaining: “Entertaining 101,” Linda West Eckhardt and Katherine West DeFoyd, Doubleday; “Fast & Festive Meals for the Jewish Holidays,” Marlene Sorosky, William Morrow; “The Pleasure of Your Kitchen,” Molly O’Neill, Viking. Food of the Americas: “The American Century Cookbook,” Jean Anderson, Clarkson Potter; “Fiesta,” Anya von Bremzen, Doubleday; “USA Cookbook,” Sheila Lukins, Workman. Food of the Mediterranean: “Italy Today,” Lorenza de’ Medici, Collins Publishers; “Marcella Cucina,” Marcella Hazan, HarperCollins; “Regional Foods of Northern Italy,” Marlena de Blasi, Prima. Food Reference and Technique: “Cookwise,” Shirley Corriher, William Morrow; “Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cooking Techniques,” Jeni Wright and Eric Treuille, William Morrow; “Webster’s New World Dictionary of Culinary Arts,” Steven Labensky, Gaye G. Ingram, Sara Labensky, Prentice-Hall. General: “Alfred Portale’s Gotham Bar and Grill Cookbook,” Doubleday; “Joy of Cooking,” Irma Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker, Scribner; “The New Making of a Cook,” Madeleine Kamman, William Morrow. Healthy Focus: “American Medical Assn. Family Health Cookbook,” Melanie Barnard and Brooke Dojny with Mindy Hermann and C. Wayne Callaway, Pocket Books; “The Golden Door Cookbook,” Michel Stroot, Broadway Books; “High-Flavor, Low-Fat Italian Cooking,” Steven Raichlen, Viking. International: “Asian Noodles,” Nina Simonds, William Morrow; “The Food and Flavors of Haute Provence,” Georgeanne Brennan, Chronicle Books; “Pierre Franey Cooks With His Friends,” Pierre Franey with Claudia Franey Jensen, Artisan. Single Subject: “Charlie Trotter’s Seafood,” Ten Speed Press; “License to Grill,” Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby, William Morrow; “The Splendid Grain,” Rebecca Wood, William Morrow. Vegetarian: “The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook,” Diana Shaw, Clarkson Potter; “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone,” Deborah Madison, Broadway Books; “Vegetarian Planet,” Didi Emmons, Harvard Common Press. Wine and Spirits: “Cote d’Or,” Clive Coates, University of California Press; “The Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia,” Tom Stevenson, DK Publishing; “Wine With Food,” Joanna Simon, Simon & Schuster. Writing on Food: “Cod,” Mark Kurlansky, Walker Publishing; “The Making of a Chef,” Michael Ruhlman, Henry Holt; “The Man Who Ate Everything,” Jeffrey Steingarten, Alfred A. Knopf. Food Photography: “Charlie Trotter’s Seafood,” Tim Turner, Ten Speed Press; “Chocolate,” Karl Petzke, Chronicle Books; “The Mezzo Cookbook With John Torode,” Diana Miller and James Murphy, SOMA Books.